Tell her to make me a cambric shirt, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme), Without any seam or needlework, Then she shall be a true lover of mine. Tell her to wash it in yonder well, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme), Where never spring water or rain ever fell, And she shall be a true lover of mine. Tell her to dry it on yonder thorn, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme), Which never bore blossom since Adam was born. Then she shall be a true lover of mine. Now he has asked me questions three, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme), I hope he’ll answer as many for me, Before he shall be a true lover of mine. Tell him to buy me an acre of land, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme), Betwixt the salt water and the sea sand, Then he shall be a true lover of mine. Tell him to plough it with a ram’s horn. (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme), And sow it all over with one pepper corn. And he shall be a true lover of mine. Tell him to shear’t with a sickle of leather, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme), And bind it up with a peacock feather, And he shall be a true lover of mine. Tell him to thrash it on yonder wall, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme), And never let one corn of it fall, Then he shall be a true lover of mine. When he has done and finished his work, (Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme), O tell him to come and he’ll have his shirt, And he shall be a true lover of mine. O THE OAK AND THE ASH. A North country mayde up to London had strayed, Although with her nature it did not agree. Which made her repent, and often lament, Still wishing again in the North for to be. “O the Oak and the Ash and the bonny Ivy tree, They are all growing green in my North Countrie!” “O fain wad I be in the North Countrie Where the lads and the lasses are all making hay; O there wad I see what is pleasant to me,— A mischief ’light on them enticed me away! O the Oak and the Ash and the bonny Ivy tree, They are all growing green in my North Countrie!” “Then farewell my father, and farewell my mother, Until I do see you I nothing but mourn; Remembering my brothers, my sisters, and others— In less than a year I hope to return. O the Oak and the Ash and the bonny Ivy tree. They are all growing green in my North Countrie!” SAIR FEYL’D, HINNY! “Sair feyl’d, hinny! Sair feyl’d now, Sair feyl’d, hinny, Sin’ aw ken’d thou. Aw was young and lusty, Aw was fair and clear; Aw was young and lusty Mony a lang year. Sair feyl’d, hinny! Sair feyl’d now; Sair feyl’d, hinny, Sin’ aw ken’d thou. “When aw was young and lusty Aw cud lowp u dyke; But now aw’m aud and still. Aw can hardly stop a syke. Sair feyl’d, hinny! Sair feyl’d now, Sair feyl’d hinny, Sin’ aw ken’d thou. “When aw was five and twenty Aw was brave an bauld. Now at five an’ sixty Aw’m byeth stiff an’ cauld. Sair feyl’d, hinny! Sair feyl’d now. Sair feyl’d, hinny, Sin’ aw ken’d thou”